Ensuring the territorial sovereignty and safety of the most populous country in the world requires not only soldiers but also a significant arsenal of state-of-the-art defence hardware and software. However, after its Independence, India was forced to rely on other countries such as Russia, France, Israel, and the United States to meet the requirements of its armed forces and had negligible defence exports.
The country had to import everything from rifles to fighter jets, increasing concerns about India’s dependence on foreign countries. Over the years, India became the world’s largest arms importer. During the Congress era, Defence Minister AK Antony had admitted that the government did not have the money to buy weapons. In March 2013, a CAG report revealed that the country did not even have ammunition to fight the war for 10 days.
Post-2014, the defence sector has seen a drastic transformation and is witnessing a quantum jump. Now, the Indian defence sector is manufacturing hardware not only for the utilisation of the Indian armed forces but for exporting to other nations as well. Conspicuously, the country’s defence exports have increased manifold. Several prominent weapons manufacturing giants have started to manufacture defence equipment in India. Additionally, new Indian players have started to make their mark in the defence manufacturing sector. Pending defence projects have started to gain momentum and armed forces have gained renewed confidence in Made in India products. Overall, the Modi government has been committed to promoting indigenous defence manufacturing.
Exports increased by over 20 times compared to the UPA era
During the ten years of the Modi government, India’s defence exports have increased by more than 20 times. This upsurge is attributed to the production of high-quality defence products within the country. Notably, nations like Armenia, Bangladesh, and the Philippines are making multi-crore defence deals with India to import defence hardware including Brahmo’s missile deals from India. Examining the data reveals that during the UPA government’s tenure (2004-14), India exported defence products worth a total of Rs 4312 crores.
Registering a growth of more than 1900%, the defence exports amounted to Rs 88,319 crore in the ten years of the Modi government (2014-2024).
In the fiscal year 2023-24 alone, the country’s defence exports stood at a historic high of Rs 21,083 crores, up from Rs 15,920 crores in 2022-23. This represents a significant increase of 32.5% within just one year. What’s noteworthy is that 60% of these defence exports were from government defence manufacturing institutions, totalling more than Rs 12,000 crores.
India has exported heavy defence hardware to Armenia, including air defence systems, ATAGS (artillery guns), Pinaka rocket systems, and Swathi radars. Likewise, India has also exported BrahMos missiles to the Philippines. Bangladesh has been continuously purchasing defence products from India. During the ten years of the Modi government, India has come out of the shadows from merely being a defence importer to making huge strides in export as well as manufacturing defence hardware through Atmanirbhar defence and Make in India initiatives.
Self-reliance and roping foreign weapon giants to Make in India
While Indian defence manufacturers have progressed significantly over the past 10 years, foreign companies are also coming to India for manufacturing. Notably, Israel’s IWI is collaborating with the PLR company to manufacture rifles in the country, a Korean company is partnering with L&T to manufacture Howitzer guns. Likewise, Airbus is manufacturing C-295 aircraft for the Indian Air Force in Vadodara, Gujarat. Additionally, the Israeli company Elbit Systems and Aerospace in collaboration with Adani gave the Indian Navy its first ‘Made In India’ long-endurance drone, the Drishti 10 Starliner UAV.
To promote self-reliance, the Defence Ministry has initiated the issuance of multiple ‘import embargo’ or negative arms import lists. As of May last year, the Modi government had announced a list of 928 military items, that will come under a phased import ban between December 2023 and December 2029. The ‘import embargo’ list means that the listed defence hardware will not be imported (barring extreme scenarios) and they must only be purchased from Indian manufacturers. So far, MoD has issued five such lists and it covers items used in fighter planes, trainer aircraft, warships, and different types of ammunition.
New startups are getting opportunities, soldiers designing weaponry
In India, the landscape of defence manufacturing is evolving, embracing not just established government entities but also burgeoning startups. The central government launched the IDEX scheme in 2018. Under this scheme, budding defence startups are provided with a grant of ₹50 crores for designated projects. This has not only diversified the industry but has also galvanized the involvement of young innovators in defence technology. Recently, under IDEX, the Ministry of Defence concluded a deal worth ₹200 crores, entrusting two companies with the task of manufacturing drones.
The military is witnessing a surge in innovative designs originating from within its ranks. Evidently, Indian Army officer Pratap Bansod has spearheaded the development of ASMI, a state-of-the-art machine pistol. The Indian Army has committed to purchasing 550 ASMI pistols. Notably, ASMI not only boasts indigenous production but also offers a cost-effective alternative to foreign-made counterparts.
After being stalled for years, several projects now enhancing the country’s defence
In the Modi government, defence projects stalled for decades have also gained momentum. Projects that were initiated in the 1980s saw progress under the Modi government. The prime example of this is India’s indigenous combat aircraft, LCA Tejas. Tejas was sanctioned in the 1980s, with its maiden successful flight occurring during the Vajpayee government in 2001. Subsequently, the project continued to progress at a sluggish pace.
The project gained steam under the Modi government. In 2015, Tejas was inducted into the Air Force for the first time. Currently, the Indian Air Force has about 40 Tejas Mk1 aircraft, while it has placed an order for approximately 83 more Tejas Mk1 (improved versions Tejas Mark-1A) with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Recently, the Indian Air Force has also inducted formidable combat helicopters, which were also long overdue. Additionally, the army has ordered the production of 550 Arjun Mark-1 tanks.
The country now possesses an indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, primarily built under the Modi government. Prime Minister Modi dedicated it to the nation in August 2022. This carrier, with a displacement of 45,000 tons, has been under construction for a long time.
Furthermore, the Modi government has strengthened the military by finalising several long-pending defence deals. The biggest example of this is the procurement of 36 Rafale jets for the Air Force. The Air Force was in need of new generation fighter aircraft for a long time, and the Modi government purchased these aircraft by signing a government-to-government deal with France. Additionally, the Modi government has acquired helicopters like Chinook and Apache to enhance the Air Force’s capabilities. For the Indian army, the Modi government has procured rifles from the SIG Sauer company.
New projects under the pipeline
The Indian armed forces are undergoing modernisation with state-of-the-art technology, and efforts are actively underway in this direction. Recently, the Modi government has approved the development of fifth-generation fighter jets. The first flight of these jets is expected to take place by 2030. Additionally, efforts are underway to acquire new submarines for the navy. A new lightweight tank is being developed for the army, primarily aimed at countering China. Work is also progressing on several other missiles, many of which have undergone successful testing.
